It's Meghan, back this week with another (hopefully) awesome idea.  If you don't remember, or are new to our blog, I teach 1st grade.  I love math and technology.

One of the questions we often get is how we create math groups during the guided math portion of ZONES.  Math groups for me are fluid, based on the standard we are working on and each student's proficiency.  I use technology, specifically Seesaw, to streamline my data collection.  This is something you can do with a little or a lot of tech in your classroom.  It works on any device or computer.

So today . . . Seesaw and exit tickets! Whatever the exit ticket is that I am using to gauge understanding, I have my students take a picture or screen shot of it and turn it in to our exit ticket folder on Seesaw.  I can then see how my students are doing (without sifting through a pile of papers) and easily give feedback that my students can see, and that parents have access to as well.
​
Here are a couple examples . . . ​

Pieces Basic is a free app on our iPads.  The students had to build the number 45, screen shot it and turn it in on Seesaw.  I saw how each student was doing and gave them immediate feedback, either affirming their work or correcting their mistakes.  You can see in the comment below the picture, I told the student what needed to be changed.  On the picture, I edited their work using the drawing tool to show the student the correct way to build the number.  From this exit ticket, I was able to create a group of students that needed to be pulled for additional instruction.  

Here is an example of an exit ticket from our math curriculum (Engage NY).  The student completed the exit ticket and took a picture in Seesaw.  To give feedback on this exit ticket, the draw, label and text features we all used.  Again, the student has immediate access to this, as do parents.  

In the paid version of Seesaw, you have access to 'skills'.  These are areas you are working on that you want to assess the students on.  Think standards, but less formal.  The goal of this feature is to give you a quick view of how students are doing with a concept.  When a student turns an item in, you quickly mark their understanding on a 4 point scale.  Then in the 'skills' view, you have a visual of how the students are doing.  You can pull a red (does not understand), yellow, light green group, or green group (ready for extensions).  So easy!  No lists of student, no piling paper together. All of this is hidden from students and parents.  It is only for you and your instructional purposes.  

While Seesaw Plus/For Schools is paid, it is not that expensive.  If it looks interesting to you, you should look into it.  

In summation, use exit tickets/quick checks to build small groups.  And then, use technology to streamline that process so you have more time to spend with your students during the guided math portion of ZONES.

          Happy ZONING!

-Meghan

Show of hands -- how many of you think teaching fractions is a BEAST?!?

Yep, so did we!! Especially in 5th grade, where everything comes together and students need a VERY strong understanding of fractions in order to meet the standards.

In our 5th grade co-taught math class, we were struggling with the best way to go about teaching fractions, especially for many students who still did not have the basics.

​Enter: The Fraction Progression.

This 1st - 5th grade progression of what students need to know does not cover every Common Core standard for fractions. However, it shows the major understandings students need to have before moving on to the next concept. {You can grab it for FREE from our TpT store!}

We are using this progression as a checklist for our students. We start at the top of the list -- if they show mastery of one concept, then they move to the next.

We gave students a pre-test on the concepts. We found that a majority of our students needed work on equivalent fractions, so that is where we focused our whole-group instruction and ZONES rotations. While students were working in the ZONES, we worked with students in small groups to cover any gaps.

We use the ReThink Mathematics checkpoints to assess student mastery. These are short (usually 3-4 questions) assessments, targeted at a specific standard. Students must get all questions completely correct in order to demonstrate mastery.  Remember, students to not need to complete a 20-question test to show they understand a concept!

At the end of the week, we gave a checkpoint for equivalent fractions. This checkpoint, combined with their independent ZONES work, gave us a good gauge of where students were at. We saw that a majority of the students showed mastery of equivalent fractions, so we are moving on to comparing fractions.

Some students still needed support with basic fractions and equivalent fractions. So, we are using our small group form to guide our small group instruction for this week. {Grab your copy from our TpT store!}

It was very interesting working with these students one-on-one and in small groups. They were able to show a much stronger mastery in this setting than they showed on the checkpoint! Most students are ready for a follow-up checkpoint. That score, combined with our informal observations in small groups, will determine if that student has mastered the standards for equivalent fractions.

And, since we l-o-v-e spreadsheets so much, I also created a color-coded spreadsheet to keep track of where students are at in the progression.

The next step is to give students their own copy of the progression. Each student will check off what he/she has mastered, and focus on the standard she/is is currently working on.

What do you think of this progression? Would you like to see something similar for other standard strands? How do you use formative assessments and grouping in your classroom?

Give us a shout-out with your answers on Facebook, Twitter, or in the comments!

Moving along,
Christi

I first identify what is not working.  I find these problems fall into 2 categories - the framework isn't functioning in your room, the students aren't working to their potential.  First, I run a couple days of ZONES or ZONES rotations and just observe the students instead of conferencing or pulling small groups.  A question I ask as I reflect is does my whole classroom feel chaotic?  Are the students confused?  Is the majority of student work poor?  If yes, then you might have a framework issue.  If no, then I move to the second round of questions.  Are a few students causing problems/distractions?  Are a few students off task?  Are a few students not completing work?  If yes, then I will focus on a solution for these students.

Keep in mind the reasons WHY you have chosen ZONES and all of the benefits your students receive by implementing this framework.  But you should not continue with the fully implemented model if it is not working.  Your first priority is to make sure all students are in a successful learning environment.  Make the necessary shifts to make the framework successful for your classroom, your teaching style, your curriculum and your students.  Also remember that students also LOVE ZONES math.  They are excited and engaged with this form of math instruction.  Students will want to continue this format and will be cooperative with getting ZONES back up and running again.

If you run into any tough situations with ZONES please reach out to us!  We will be happy to brainstorm solutions so you can be successful with this framework!

Olivia

You did what we told you to....you collected data on your students....tons of it, right? Even if you do not have data coming out of your ears you will hopefully have a few data points to glean from. If not, go to this blog post about data collection to find out how to gather valuable information on your students. 

For those of you that have collected data it's time to discuss WHAT to do with all of it. Form small groups! In my classroom I typically have 3-4 small groups.

I have a group of students that are above grade level expectations (these are the ones I like to push to go above and beyond....maybe giving them some challenging problems to work out or even advancing them to higher level content). These students tend to be pretty independent. You most likely only need to meet with them about 2 times per week.

My next group would be the students that are able to quickly grasp the content. You present new information and they pick it up quickly. With these students I do a "check-in" type of small group where I give them problems to work on from our current content. I observe their process and look for any clues that they may be struggling. If I find this to be the case I am able to quickly give them the support they need. You will meet with this group about 3 times per week.

A third group of students would be for those that are struggling with the current content. You will meet with these kiddos 4-5 times per week. This is the time for remediation and lots of support! I will use current content with these students and walk them through the process at a slower more deliberate rate. I sometimes find that with this group we may need to go back a bit to build on previous knowledge.

My fourth group is my basic number sense group. This is for the students that are really struggling. We spend our time together going over the basics. We often talk about if an answer is reasonable or not and why. I like to meet with these students on a daily basis if possible. A great motto to live by is "students with the highest needs require daily support!" 

Grab this great small group planning guide created by our good friend Kristy Crater. It is super helpful when planning small groups and for taking notes. 
 
​Here are a few take-aways for you regarding small groups:

1. You do not need to meet with each group every single day (that would be exhausting and not possible).
2. Make groups small---about 5---give or take.
3. If you find you have a large number of students for a particular group (like 15 in your "grasps quickly" group) just break that into 2 small groups.
4. Students with the highest needs should be met with most frequently.
5. You might have a student that fits in 2 groups. Often the basic number sense students are also in the group for those struggling with the current content. That's ok! 

I hope this is helpful for you when you begin small group instruction. Let us know if we can help!

Happy Zoning!
Sara

Hello everyone!  I hope ZONES introduction and set up is going well for you.  If you haven't started, it's not too late!  And if you haven't started because . . . 'How in the world does this work for lower el?' . . . then hopefully this post will help you.

My math block this year is about 50 minutes long.  On Mondays, we work whole group to introduce new activities and big concepts.  The rest of the week we spend about 20-30 minutes on whole group instruction or completion of Engage New York worksheets (that the students cannot complete independently).  That leaves about 25-30 minutes for students to work in their ZONES while I work with small groups.  Within that time, I try to meet with two small groups a day.  My groups are put together by ability and understanding of our current concepts.

I have gone this year to a more student led ZONES and Daily 5 time.  We still work at the same focused tasks, but it is up to my students when they complete each activity.  I no longer assign groups or tell them when to switch to their next activity.  They know what they need to complete and mark it off as they go.  If it is not complete on Friday, than they owe me some work!  Telling students when to switch and policing behavior became my nightmare after last year . . . I am over it!  

Here is an image of my ZONES board.  It has been working really well and I am excited about the ownership and independence it is creating in my students.  It also makes my life easier because . . . well . . . less policing!

With the time that we have to work on targeted activities in ZONES, I do not need to create tons of different activities for the students. I have a few things that switch out each week and a few more that switch out after a few weeks.  Receptiveness in 1st grade is important for building those strong foundations.  One time completing something is not enough.

I hope this helps to spark some ideas.  I'll be back next month with more specifics about organization and activities!
​-Meghan